While agree with delisting and allowing state management I don't agree that our big game (deer) has been hurt by wolves.Yes, wolves kill deer in the northern 1/2, but the southern 1/2 for now is wolf free. And the southern 1/2 could use a reduction in deer herd as there are too many now.Wolves are not the limiting factor in the northern 1/2.

I think that a better avenue for delisting should be developed. Its sounds like hunters are only concerned about the competition from wolves eating "their" deer.

isn't that reason enough dirtyd? its why wolves kill coyotes and coyotes kill fox. humans gotta eat also. why shouldn't carrying capacity be what humans decide it is? you think enough cattle are produced in areas without wolves that the guys who must live with them ought not care what happens when deer elk and moose are wiped out in wolf " recovery " areas?

Ban private vehicles now. They are killing too much wildlife and too many children.

isn't that reason enough dirtyd? its why wolves kill coyotes and coyotes kill fox. humans gotta eat also. why shouldn't carrying capacity be what humans decide it is? you think enough cattle are produced in areas without wolves that the guys who must live with them ought not care what happens when deer elk and moose are wiped out in wolf " recovery " areas?

Trouble is politics not science is determining carrying capacity. Do you set cap. at what the environment will support or what the environment will support without damage to environment?2 different things completely. Science and good stewardship of land would dictate the latter.

Where have wolves "wiped out" deer, elk or moose populations? My mind is open, I'd love to read some studies that show this. I'm sure that they have had an negative effect on populations, but thats hardly "wiping them out". In fact that maybe a overall positive in many cases.Population dynamics of wolves is such that as prey disappears then wolf populations will decline thru competition (biggest killer of wolves is other wolves) and replacement rates drop.

Like I said I'm all for delisting, I'm uncomfortable about the way they are making the argument. Targeting and appealing to more people would make the passage more likely.I don't like the argument when it comes across as Hunters don't want wolves because they eat my deer.

While agree with delisting and allowing state management I don't agree that our big game (deer) has been hurt by wolves.Yes, wolves kill deer in the northern 1/2, but the southern 1/2 for now is wolf free. And the southern 1/2 could use a reduction in deer herd as there are too many now.Wolves are not the limiting factor in the northern 1/2.

I think that a better avenue for delisting should be developed. Its sounds like hunters are only concerned about the competition from wolves eating "their" deer.

That may be the case in WI, but wolves have migrated to some parts of southern MN as well due to overpopulation, though it's doubtful our DNR will ever admit to that. The wolves have decimated parts of the deer herd in northern MN. But, that's only part of the problem. There have been complaints of wolves coming into people's yards killing their pets and livestock.

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1017&context=ewdcc4Old study, but interesting. this study mentions 6% of the deer population ends up as wolf food.In the study area (bearville) the wolf mortality was less than reproduction rate, But the human harvest/mortality from hunting/poaching and wounding loss was exceeding reproduction rate. Due to this the deer population was declining. Even without wolves the population in the study area would decline.

Of course I'm sure many of you will say the studies are all crap. But until you can show better info then I'll choose to go with science.

Another study that I read has bobcats as the biggest killer of fawns. This was a WI study.

There are tons of similar studies out there. I have not found one yet that says that wolves "wipe out" any prey base.Again and again studies show that wolves are not the limiting factor in prey base. The habitat and weather come first.

Everyone needs to face the fact that wolves are here to stay. Delisting and managing pop. levels would be a good thing. Wolves have an effect on game populations, they will eat livestock and pets. This will not change. Best to control the pop. levels so will be kept to a minimum. This is the best of all worlds for all involved.